


A Short Drive (Goes A Long Way)

by kuro



Category: Marvel
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Fluff, M/M, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-27
Updated: 2014-06-27
Packaged: 2018-02-06 12:12:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1857618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kuro/pseuds/kuro
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony is in a hurry to get to a meeting in time, but the car that was supposed to pick him up gets into an accident. What does he do? Hail a taxi, of course!</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Short Drive (Goes A Long Way)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [athornintheheart](https://archiveofourown.org/users/athornintheheart/gifts).



> This is for the SteveTonyFest on tumblr! My giftee is ivyeyed, I hope you like it! ^_^
> 
> Thanks to lovely inukagome15 for the beta~
> 
> Note: In this AU, Tony is still pretty young, and therefore also a bit less jaded than his older self. (Do I make sense?)

Tony Stark might be a billionaire and a genius, but some days, even that doesn't keep him from being 1) extremely unlucky and 2) extremely dumb. The car that was supposed to come and pick him up got involved in a car crash and was totalled. The crash was apparently bad enough that there's no hope of salvaging the car, seeing as it was hit by a fully loaded truck. The only surprising (and probably unbelievable) thing is that both his driver and the guy driving the truck made it out of it with only a few scratches. And no pedestrians were involved, which Tony is doubly glad for. Pedestrian vs. truck is really not a thing that Tony wants to even think about. Hm. Or maybe he wants to.

Anyway, Tony is obviously happy about the 'no-one got seriously hurt' part, but the problem here is that now he has nobody coming to pick him up. That is where, unfortunately, the dumb part comes in. Just as he finishes taking the call from his designated driver, who called in a rather panicked state to inform him that he won't be able to pick him up, something red flashes on the display. It's the warning that his phone's battery is almost down, so Tony hurriedly presses speed dial to get someone else at Stark Industries to pick him up, but after only three rings, the battery dies.

He's so utterly embarrassed, because it's his own tech, his goddamn name is on the phone, and he forgot to charge it and now he has no phone. Some genius he is. Well, no wait, he is one. He is living in New York City, and New York is full of taxis, everybody knows that. He has never used a taxi, seeing as his family has always had several private drivers, so he never had use for a public taxi. But it can't be too different.

It can't be _that_ difficult to get a taxi.

*

Tony takes it back. Getting a taxi in New York City is _fucking difficult and he wants it to stop, now_. He is already far too late, and he has absolutely no excuse for it. 

Right when he is finally ready to give up, he spots a taxi, parked at the curb. Without thinking, he runs towards it, slides into the car and says, “Stark Tower, please.”

He is met with complete silence, the taxi driver staring at him through the mirror, and... someone is already sitting in the taxi, right next to him.

Fuck, he hadn't seen that someone was getting in. But this is the first taxi he has been able to come even  _close_ to, so...

“Hey, how about a deal?” Tony steamrolls on since he is already sitting in the taxi anyway, and he really doesn't want to get out and look for another one. “Let's make a detour for Stark Tower, and I will pay this lucky guy's taxi fare. I don't care how much it's going to cost. Just... please.”

The taxi driver rolls his eyes. That kind of shit probably happens to him on a regular basis, but right now, Tony doesn't care. He  _needs_ to get to Stark Tower as quickly as possible. The guy next to him stares at him intensely for a second. Tony notices blond hair and blue eyes, and wow, those are some impressive arms. That guy could probably snap him in half if he wanted. Well, damn. 

“I'm not a charity case,” his fellow passenger finally says.

“I don't have _time_ for charity,” Tony replies a little snippily, “I need to be at Stark Tower like 15 minutes ago.”

That's when he realises the guy is already nodding at the taxi driver, who rolls his eyes once more and starts the car.

Well. Now he feels bad.

“Erm... thank you?” Tony tries, because honestly, he didn't expect the guy to actually accept his offer.

Once again, he gets a considering look for his efforts.

“You're welcome,” his travelling companion says, and then turns around to look outside the window.

Well, okay then.

*

When they finally arrive at Stark Tower, Tony throws a lot of money at the taxi driver, tells him to drive 'Mr. Pretty and Blond' wherever he wants to go, and is out of the taxi and inside the building in under ten seconds.

He then proceeds to delete this thoroughly embarrassing episode from his memory banks forever.

Pepper gives him a strange look, but apparently something tells her that for once, it's not necessary to chew him out.

Bless this woman.

*

Tony has already completely forgotten about  ~~ this thoroughly embarrassing episode ~~ when a few days later, the phone in his office unexpectedly rings. He isn't expecting anyone, and he specifically told his secretary not to put any calls through that can be avoided in any way, so why is the phone ringing? He decides it might be an emergency or something, and answers the phone grudgingly. 

“Good morning, Mr. Stark,” says the cool and professional voice of one of the ladies from the front desk. (They also have men there, but the men tend to flirt with Tony too much, so it's usually the ladies who call. Because they won't take his shit.) “There is someone here who says he owes you money. He said his name is Steven Rogers, but you might not recognise that name. I tried to turn him away, but he insists you gave him money for a taxi fare he wants to return.”

For one moment, Tony's mind is blank. Then he starts laughing.

“Is the guy in question tall, built like a linebacker, and blond?” he asks.

“He is,” the lady from the front desk confirms. “Very attractive, if I may say so myself.”

“Ah, he is, isn't he?” Tony muses. He can't believe the guy from the taxi actually showed up again. He's honestly not sure how he feels about that, but curiosity and cats and all that. “It's okay, send him up.”

“Are you sure?” she checks.

“Yes, yes, if he wanted to murder me he already had his chance,” Tony replies off-handedly before hanging up.

*

A few minutes later, his fellow passenger from the taxi actually steps in his office, looking a strange mixture between determined and insecure. Tony can't help but grin from his side of the desk. It's 99% bullshitting, but what can you do.

“So we meet again,” Tony says by way of a greeting.

“Yes,” the guy answers. “Steven Rogers. I wanted to return your money – it just didn't feel right.”

He steps forward and holds out an envelope to Tony.

“Hey, no,” Tony refuses (well, he wouldn't want to get handed anything anyway). “I was a pain in your ass, at least take the money as compensation. Despite what people say, I know that hijacking taxis is not a thing that should be done. And I really don't care about the money. In case you haven't realised this yet: I'm Tony Stark, the owner of this company, and I take my morning swim in a pool of money. Two hundred dollars or something isn't even worth mentioning.”

Steven's expression turns mulish and he doesn't budge, holding out the envelope to Tony.

“It still doesn't feel right,” he emphasises. “I don't care how much money you have – I can't accept it.”

Tony stares at him for a moment, speechless. Steven stares back with a stubborn set in his jaw, apparently fully determined to fight this out.

“Oh my god,” Tony says and starts laughing, “you are actually _serious_?”

And oops, there's the frown. It's a very impressive frown, but Tony feels bad immediately. All he seems to be doing so far is making this guy either confused or offended. He allows himself one small second of  _why do I care about that so much?_ , before he vigorously shoves these thoughts aside. 

He gets up and walks around the desk, and well, this is probably not the best idea he's ever had, but he has never been known for having an especially good impulse control, so.

“Hey, how about a compromise?” Tony suggests. “I'll take the money back. But you'll need to have lunch with me. How's that sound?”

The frown softens a little, but Steven is still looking at him with a considering look.

“Why would you...?” he starts asking, trailing off meaningfully.

“You feel bad about the money, I feel bad for forcing you to come on a taxi ride with me, let me do something about it,” Tony flippantly answers, reaching out and taking Steven by the elbow, gently manoeuvring him towards the door. “And I'm hungry, and I'm sure you're hungry, too, and I sure could use some company for a meal.”

Steven looks a little overwhelmed by the sudden turn of events, but he doesn't disagree or baulk, so Tony takes it as a yes.

*

“This is a high class restaurant,” Steven states as if he still can't quite believe he's really sitting in it.

“A very astute observation,” Tony says, smirking at Steven.

“This is not what I had in mind when I agreed,” Steven continues. “And this is going to cost you much more than what you initially gave me in the taxi.”

“Ah, you found me out,” Tony gasps dramatically. “Steve – I can call you Steve, right? – don't worry your pretty head, enjoy it! If it makes you so unhappy, just remember that _I_ wanted to eat here and you just happened to be with me at the time.”

“You always get what you want, huh,” Steve observes, again with that considering glance.

“Usually, yes,” Tony unabashedly confirms, putting his head in his hand and grinning at Steve over the beautifully laid table. Steve sighs and averts his eyes for a moment, but then his gaze returns to Tony.

“We'll see about that,” he says, and then he grins at Tony for the first time.

Tony's heart may or may not jump at the sight.

*

For some reason, Steve considerably relaxes after that, and the two of them start a conversation that keeps going throughout the whole (extremely delicious, Tony does know the best mangers in the city) meal. They talk about a lot of things, Tony's work and all the ridiculous people he has to deal with every day, Steve's work as a cartoonist and art teacher, and the interesting and sometimes a little strange people  _he_ has to deal with every day. They talk about art and Tony's invaluable art collection. They talk about growing up in New York, in the dorms of expensive private schools and on the streets of a poor neighbourhood with lots of immigrants. Somehow, they end up sitting and talking in the restaurant for two hours.

When they finish, Tony feels reluctant to part  for some reason . It's a very new and strange feeling, and Tony wants to taste it just a little bit longer. He bans all thoughts of work and asks Steve if he has time to go have a coffee with him. Steve thinks that over for a bit with a serious expression on his face.

“Well, today is my free day,” he finally replies, the small frown on his face turning into small smile. “But only on two conditions: First, I pay. Second, I choose.”

Tony makes a face, because does Steve know  _anything_ about good coffee? He looks too  much like a wholesome American,  and probably thinks that drip coffee is the bee's knees. But he reluctantly agrees, because if he can stay with Steve a little longer, he can probably suffer through  _one_ bad coffee. 

*

They end up in a cosy little Italian style café, and the coffee is delicious. Steve, for some reason, also orders ice cream, and they laugh their way through ice cream and coffee. Tony honestly can't remember when he laughed this much for the last time. He feels great, kind of like he is floating around on a little cloud, and the sun shines and they are sitting outside in rickety chairs and eating rapidly melting ice cream. It's kind of extremely corny, and Tony would never admit it, but this is the best time he's had for... he can't remember.

Probably the best date he's had in forever.

Wait.

Tony's eyes widen with shock, and Steve looks at him with sudden concern.

That, of course, is the very moment his phone starts ringing.

“Shi... It's Pepper, sorry, I need to answer this,” he excuses himself, and answers the call.

“ _Tony, where are you?_ ” comes Pepper's voice over the line. “ _You vanished and your secretary has no idea where you are and the meeting is in five minutes!_ ”

“Oh fu... Pepper, I'm sorry, I'm coming, just keep them busy for a few minutes, okay?” he pleads before ending the call. Then he turns to Steve, who is already smiling understandingly.

“Work, huh?” he asks.

“I'm so sorry,” Tony apologises. “I completely forgot I have this meeting.”

_I completely forgot because I was having way too much fun talking to you_ , he doesn't add.

“No,” Steve replies, looking down on his napkin, slowly crumpling it. “I'm sorry for keeping you from doing what you were supposed to do.”

“Hey, no,” Tony disagrees. “I was the one who talked you into this. And well, I had a really good time, so...”

“Here,” Steve suddenly says, pulling a pen and a drawing pad out of his bag, ripping one sheet out of the pad and writing something on it. “My number. If... if you want it, that is.”

Tony stares at the piece of paper for a second.

“Is this a date?” he finally blurts out. “Augh, no, I mean-”

“If you want it to be,” Steve interrupts him, blushing a little. “I mean I don't want to... yes.”

And then they stare at each other for a few seconds wordlessly, blushing a little, before they both break out into laughter. (The other guests sitting around them are definitely staring at them, but hey, Tony is used to that.)

“Okay,” Tony says, grinning at Steve in a probably very ridiculous way. “Okay. I like that.”

“Good,” Steve smiles back, and wow, look at that, he looks just as silly as Tony does. It's an unfairly attractive kind of silly, though.

“You should leave,” Steve reminds him, and wow, just how did he manage get the bill and pay it while Tony wasn't looking? What a cheat. (Tony approves.)

“Can I see you back to the tower?” Steve asks when they get up to leave.

“If you want to? I'm not a lady, though, I don't need a big, strong man to protect me,” Tony teases him.

“That has nothing to do with it,” Steve denies, pulling a face.

“Well, let's go then, not-my-big-strong-protector,” Tony says and laughs when Steve tries to (half-heartedly) swat him.

*

For a moment, they stand in front of the elevator that will bring Tony to the meeting (that has already started twenty minutes ago), but Tony doesn't want to go. It's the dumbest thing ever, because no, this is not him, he has never done something like this, and now he is standing here, all giddy and unsure and it's killing him.

“Well,” Steve say gently, “you should go.”

“Yeah,” Tony agrees, not moving an inch.

“You have my number,” Steve continues, moving past Tony to push the button on the elevator. He's close enough that Tony can smell his cologne. It's a good smell. “Call me, okay?”

“Yeah,” Tony agrees again, feeling distinctly stupid and overwhelmed with the situation. He really doesn't want to go to that meeting. He wants to stay here.

But the elevator has already arrived (well, it  _is_ Stark tech), and the doors open. Steve pushes him towards the doors. 

“Can't you come with me?” Tony ~~whines~~ asks. 

“No, but we can meet again as soon as you manage to get some free time,” Steve promises. Then, just before the doors close, Steve leans in and kisses Tony on the cheek.

“I had a great time today,” Steve tells him with a sparkle in his eyes. “An unexpectedly good time.”

“Yeah,” Tony says. “That.”

And with that, the elevator doors close and he is up on his way to the meeting.

He can't stop smiling the rest of the day.

Frankly, he doesn't care.


End file.
